Monthly Archives: August 2013

Al-Qaeda, History

The Possibly True Story and History of Al-Qaeda…………

      

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“Sunday marked the 25th anniversary of the founding of the global terrorist network al-Qaeda. Here are some of the milestone moments in the militant organization’s 25-year history:


  • Aug. 11, 1988: Founders Larry Wentworth and Mark Gold establish the organization and settle on a name
  • Nov. 14, 1990: Headquarters moved to Delaware for tax purposes 
  • Dec. 18, 1991: Al-Qaeda pulls off the first of its trademark prankings 
  • July 29, 1998: With Ayman al-Zawahiri excitedly ringing the New York Stock Exchange opening bell, al-Qaeda goes public at $18 a share 
  • Mar. 3, 2002: PeopleSoft rolled out across the terrorist network to help operatives keep better track of hours and vacation time 
  • Mar. 24, 2002: Al-Qaeda leaders secretly meet with Saddam Hussein in Dick Cheney’s imagination 
  • July 30, 2002: Thanked in the liner notes to Bruce Springsteen’s The Rising 
  • Oct. 15, 2005: Al-Qaeda’s audio/visual department spins off into an independent and highly successful media production company called Lucid Entertainment 
  • Sept. 28, 2008: Forced to call off plot to destroy U.S. financial system after Americans take care of it themselves……………”

Cheers
mhg

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Ali Khamenei, Arab Revolutions, Bahrain, Iran

An Iranian Lesson: How to Leave Office Unlamented and Unmissed…….

      

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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is gone, and nobody seems to miss him, except maybe Benyamin Netanyahu, and nobody seems to regret his departure, except probably himself.
I suspect that when Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, departs he will be publicly missed, no doubt, and there will be public rituals of mourning. But the average Iranian will probably not care that much. A cult of personality is not usually encouraged in Iran, and it would be hard for one to take hold anyway. Probably the Islamic nature of the regime does not encourage personality cults, at least not lasting personality cults. After all, how can any person compete with God in people’s hearts and minds? Besides, there is surely a strong desire everywhere for change: a supreme leader lasting in office for life is the best protection against a personality cult. Just look at Bahrain: the most hated person is the prime minister who has been in office for 42 years. People get tired of the same old, same old, no matter how amenable and lovable that same old, same old is (FYI: Shaikh Khalifa Al Khalifa is not amenable or lovable, never has been).
In this there is also a lesson for Arab kings, princes, and shaikhs and assorted dictators and kleptocrats (is there any other kind?). The longer you cling to power and the office, the easier the people will breathe when you are forced to leave. The louder the cheers you’ll hear when you leave office (most likely involuntarily).

Cheers
mhg

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Arab Revolutions, Egypt, History

Rudderless in Arabia: Waiting for Nasser, Waiting for Godot………….

      

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“Despite all that, there has been a determined drive by Egypt’s pro-coup media to present Sisi as an independent, even anti-American, figure. There’s even an effort to link him with Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt’s popular Arab nationalist president of the 50s and 60s. That’s partly because Nasser repressed the then US-backed Muslim Brotherhood (along with communists). But it also reflects the fact that Nasser’s reputation as a genuinely independent and progressive leader who stood up to the west and Israel is still strong in Egypt and across the region – and the coup mongers want to use it to give themselves some spurious legitimacy. The idea that the US-dependent Sisi, whose military hierarchy controls vast commercial interests, is a new Nasser is ludicrous. But the propaganda ploy is revealing. Despite his failings and authoritarianism, Nasser is remembered as a leader who stood for regional unity and independence, economic development and social justice………….A democratic 21st-century Nasser …………..”

Al Sisi is no Nasser. Nasser was a once-in-a-century phenomenon in the Arab world. As he himself opined in his manifesto Philosophy of the Revolution, he came along and found a role seeking someone to fill it. That sounded self-serving, but he was right: he appeared at the right time and in the right place. And Nasser had characteristics that no Arab leader since has shown. He had charisma and independence and humility and a feeling of responsibility to the less fortunate masses of Egyptians. All those who came after him made their families and their cronies rich from their positions. Nasser’s family reportedly lived on his state pension. Imagine if Bill Clinton or Barack Obama had to live on their government retirements? It would cramp their lifestyles.
As I said, no Arab leader ever came close to Nasser charisma and oratorical skills, not remotely close. The nearest is probably Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah, and I don’t think he comes even close to Nasser, and not only because the Lebanese, like the Syrians, make lousy crowd orators. As for Generalissimo Al Sisi, I have never heard him, but I have doubts. He is acting more like a Pinochet right now.
The Arab peoples are a good and generous people and deserve much better than the blood-sucking despotic clowns who rule them from Morocco to Bahrain. Arabs deserve better than the thuggish robber clans like Al Saud, Al Khalifa, Al-Bashir, and others. They deserve better than being pushed around and manipulated by foreign powers, both regional and far away powers. But the outlook is not promising. Not yet.

Cheers
mhg

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censorship, UAE

UAE Shaikhs Trying to Censor American Media……..

      

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“Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are making transnational attempts to shut down a site belonging to the United States’ largest Arab-American newspaper, al-Watan. The UAE’s Telecom Regularity Authority has sent a letter to watan.com’s German hosting company demanding the site be shut down, alleging that it is owned by the ‘Global Muslim Brotherhood Union’. The site’s founder Nezam Mahdawi denies this, claiming that they are being targeted due to reporting of human rights violations in the UAE……………..”

They charge the newspaper of being part of a ‘Global Muslim Brotherhood Union’, whateverthefuck that is.These Abu Dhabi shaikhs must think they can buy their way through anything. And why not? they see that the Western governments would do anything for money, for fat contracts. They can see that all the Western talk of freedom and democracy in the Middle East applies only to regimes that are not friendly to the West. They can see nobody that talks of liberating the UAE and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain from their despots.
I suspect they may have been behind past attempts to block rival Middle East television networkst.

Cheers
mhg

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Arab Revolutions, Bahrain, Corruption, GCC

The Fire in Bahrain: Futile Dialog and Dirty Compromise and an Extended Pogrom………

      

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The People of Bahrain will gather for huge protests on Wednesday August 14. The people of Bahrain, most of them, have been in a state of rebellion since February 14, 2011. The ruling family is determined to thwart them by imposing a lock-down across the country, especially the capital Manama. Barbed wire and tear gas and contingents of foreign mercenaries are being used to keep the people out of the capital. Much of uncooperative foreign media is being kept out.
The ruling Al Khalifa clan of Bahrain have been whittling away the basic freedoms that were guaranteed under the covenant they made with the people who voted for independence and a constitutional monarchy some 42 years ago. Repression and corruption have become a hallmark of Bahrain, as the rulers and their tribal and foreign allies painted a phony picture to the outside world, focused on the capital Manama, of a peaceful progressive financial center and tourist destination. As the people protested, the rulers took a page form the Saudi book of repression and ended the experiment in parliamentary politics for a generation. Which gave them the chance to establish one of the most corrupt systems, of its size, for looting the potential wealth of any Arab country.
When they finally agreed under pressure to restore some form of electoral politics, they had by that time unilaterally changed the constitution to make the elected legislature only partly elected, then they made it toothless. When the people protested, the rulers responded with an extended island-wide pogrom that has lasted since February 2011 and continues today.
The politics itself angered the people of Bahrain, people of all sects, but what made this an even more serious matter was the regime policy of discrimination, in effect a form of Gulf apartheid, against a majority of the population. There can always be room for compromise over politics, but there can be no compromise over the basic human rights, especially equality. That is why all the attempts at a “dialog” have been and will continue to be fruitless. When the basic right of equality is at stake, words like “dialog” and “compromise” sound like dirty words, at least they do to me. And in the context of the basic right of equality words like “dialog” and “compromise” are in fact dirty words that lead nowhere, except maybe to more “dialog” and compromise”.

Cheers
mhg

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Arab Counterrevoltion, Arab Revolutions, Egypt

Egyptian Hypocrisy: Liberals Want the Army to Do what the Army Did not Do to Them in 2011………

      

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“As pressure mounts on Egypt’s military-backed interim government to forcibly disperse supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi from their massive sit-ins, some of the loudest, most passionate voices calling for security forces to clear the encampments come from liberals here. Liberal commentators, activists and politicians — on-state controlled media and across a spectrum of independent channels — are saying that it is long past time to evict the tens of thousands of Morsi supporters and Muslim Brotherhood backers from their sit-ins around Cairo University and the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque……………..”

Egypt’s liberals have come along way from their “revolutionary” days of two years ago. I mean both types of liberals: the pro-Mubarak felul liberals and the former rebels against Mubarak (probably including leaders of the new tamarrod movement that was led by the UAE shaikhs). Now they want the Egyptian army to do to protesting Islamists at Rab’a what it would not do in 2011 at Tahrir. What many of them did not want it to do in 2011 during the Tahrir protests. They want the military to crush the pro-Morsi protests, something they did not want the military to do when they, the liberals, or many of them, were occupying Tahrir Square to make their (legitimate) political demands.
That is “nifaq”, spelling h-y-p-o-c-r-i-s-y in the Egyptian dialect of Arabic. Actually in all dialects of Arabic, from Morocco to the Comoros.


Cheers
mhg

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Culture and Sports, GCC, UAE

UAE Kayak One: Gulf Potentates and their Very Expensive Toys………

      

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“Le yacht “Azzam” acheté par la famille royale des Emirats arabes unis est désormais le plus long au monde avec une dimension de 180 mètres, selon le classement annuel du magazine Yachts France……….. “Azzam”, tout juste terminé par le constructeur allemand Lürssen Yachts, est doté de six ponts et d’un salon de 550 m2 décoré en style Empire par un designer français. Son propriétaire, le président des Emirats, cheikh Khalifa ben Zayed Al Nahyane, pourra atteindre à son bord 31,5 noeuds, une prouesse technique, écrit le magazine. Les plus nombreux restent en 2013 les ressortissants du Moyen-Orient (31 yachts), suivis des Russes (19) et des Américains (17). On retrouve ainsi en troisième position le yacht “Dubai” de 162 mètres, propriété de l’émir de Dubaï cheikh Mohammed ben Rachid al-Maktoum, suivi en quatrième position du “Al Said” de 155 mètres sous les couleurs du sultanat d’Oman……………….”

“Motor yacht Azzam is probably built for Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Emir of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE – Emirates). ………. Azzam means ‘determination’ in Arabic. So Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is probably the owner of luxury yacht Azzam. His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, referred to as Sheikh Khalifa, is the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and emir of Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is considered to be one of the world’s wealthiest monarchs, with a net worth of USD 15 billion. Sheikh Khalifa also runs the world’s second-largest sovereign wealth fund, with reported assets of more than USD 600 billion. In 2010, the world’s tallest man-made structure, originally known as Burj Dubai, was renamed to Burj Khalifa, in honor of the Sheikh. Sheikh Khalifa is an active philanthropist. Among several donations, the Sheikh has pledged USD 150 million to the University of Texas… …………….”

It is a good think most Saudis are land-lubbers, desert people rather than sea-going people. It is a good thing the Al Saud are not sea-going types, otherwise you can imagine the size of ship King Abdullah will order. He’d have to make sure it is bigger than that of the UAE rulers, his manhood will be at stake. It has to be, given the size of his kingdom: he rules over some 15 million natives compared to about 1 million natives in the UAE. Imagine the poor shaikh (now king) of Bahrain: if it is to be proportional he would have to get a lifeboat for a yacht. He may still need a lifeboat one of these days, just to bail out.

Modestly they call it Jalboot Force One, others call it Kayak Force One. Modestly.
Cheers
mhg

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CIA, Cuba, Latin America

The Ghost of Allende and Other Latin Plots…………

      

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“The rising power of leftists in South America made the election of Chile’s President Salvador Allende a threat to the United States, a journalist says. That was one of the reasons the CIA became involved, directly or indirectly, in the socialist leader’s assassination in 1973, author Carlos Bosso said in an interview published Sunday in the Santiago (Chile) Times. In his book, “The CIA in Chile,” Bosso said the CIA detected what it saw as “a strong increase” in Chileans voting for leftist political parties in the 1960s He cited an analysis of leftist guerrillas done by the CIA that said attempts by leftist groups to take over governments by violence “were not feasible anymore,” so the groups began getting involved in the continent’s political processes. That resulted in the election of Allende…………”

That was then. Now the gates have opened. Now they have several leftists to get rid of: Evo Morales (Bolivia), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), Maduro (Venezuela), Daniel Ortega (Nicaragua), the Castros (the toughest ones, in Cuba). Then there are the softer leftists who in the old right-wing days would have been overthrown just as quickly: in Chile, Brazil…………

Cheers
mhg

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GCC, UAE

Justest Bestest Wildest Court System of the UAE…………….

      

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“With a just judicial system the UAE’s stature is secure, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, told judges and the justice minister on Monday. At his palace in Al Bateen, Sheikh Mohammed told Dr Hadef Al Dheheri and Abu Dhabi Federal Supreme Court Justices that public attacks could not harm the country with the rule of law. “Despite some malicious voices and stances, no one can harm our stature as long as we have fair, honest and credible judicial institutions,” he said, according to Wam, the state news agency. He added that the country counts on the “independence and neutrality of the members of the judiciary” to enforce verdicts and legal principles……………..”

Yep, in the UAE they have got the best most rootin’-tootin’ system of laws and courts in the whole wide wonderful world. That is why they arrest and torture, allegedly, anyone who criticizes the government and calls for reform. It helps that the courts are nice and legal even as they are impartial to legal niceties. It is the second best court system after the Saudi one.
Cheers
mhg

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Humor, Israel, Palestine

Swords to Caterpillars: Secret of New Palestinian Peace Talks, Mystery of the New Settlements……

      

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“JERUSALEM—As part of their continuing efforts to bring peace to the conflict-stricken region, Israeli government officials announced today the construction of a new settlement on Palestinian lands where future peace talks can be held. “After years of failed diplomacy, it has become clear that we need to make a fresh start, and what better way to do so than by appropriating a small amount of Palestinian territory where Israeli citizens can live and negotiators from both sides can talk about a peaceful way forward?” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, referring to the civilian Jewish community that will be constructed in place of multiple razed city blocks in the West Bank. “With this new settlement in place, I believe that our prospects of peace and unity will be brighter than ever. In fact, we should build more settlements so there can be even more places to negotiate.” Netanyahu noted that any individuals currently living on the future site of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have exactly 36 hours to leave before they are forcibly removed….…………..”

It almost makes sense. Given the way things have gone these past few years, like declaring new illegal settlements on the eve of so-called “peace talks”, it is quite possible that Netanyahu will expropriate some more Palestinian lands in the name of peace. The term “chutzpah” seems to have been coined just to describe Netanyahu.
Cheers
mhg

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